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Original poster

Clomid support thread 2018

896 replies

AliceScarlett · 26/05/2018 21:01

Welcome clomiphene citrate people!

Come and chat about all things Clomid.

I'm Alice
33 years old
TTC#1
Cycle 31

Had all the tests and finally got the go-ahead today (a prescription and letter in the post!) So bit of a surprise. Will be starting on CD2 in about 4 days time hopefully.

Scared, excited, nervous.

Join in.

OP posts:
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11
Laurenita · 31/12/2018 12:29

@Jezza321 I'm on my second round of Clomid, I cant really help with the symptoms because ovulation is so painful I can't physically begin to even think of having sex, so I'm giving it up as a bad job. I can however sympathise with how lonely you feel, I feel the same. Guys can't really understand what you're going through, and I haven't told anyone else we're TTC (for nearly a year now). Only my mum knows, and she's 1000 miles away and at nearly 70, is pretty distant when I try to talk to her about it so felt kind of pointless.
So, for the last 4 days I've been testing with OPK's, all negative for both LH and Oestrogen so we didn't BD. Today is CD16 and I had my first Oestrogen surge detected on the OPK but no LH surge yet. Only I woke up with such incredibly painful cramping I can't bear to BD, for the second month in a row now. I'm literally taking them and putting myself through this for nothing but I feel like I've been disembowelled or something. How does everyone else get through it?

juneybean · 31/12/2018 12:34

@laurenita not very romantic but could you use use a cup and syringe?

Laurenita · 31/12/2018 12:41

@juneybean haha, I'll be honest, I did think of that but then felt like a crazy woman, plus my partner has the flu and I slipped and fell quite badly on my balcony yesterday, we really are quite the pair! We can't even celebrate NY because we're both messed up! Sometimes I think it's the universe that is just trying to stop us! XD

confused107 · 31/12/2018 12:42

@Laurenita sorry to hear you have been in so much pain. Are your cycles monitored? It might be giving your Dr a call as you shouldn't be feeling like that

Laurenita · 31/12/2018 12:51

@confused107 Well, I went to see my gyn several months ago as I've just turned 35 and had been trying for around 9 months. She did some tests which seemed normal apart from a slightly higher testosterone level which she used to diagnose me with 'borderline PCOS', apparently that's a thing. I ovulated the last cycle but she still prescribed me with 3 rounds of clomid but only monitored me for the 1st round. Again, I ovulated but later than usual CD 18 I think. She said it was too late and discharged me saying theres nothing else she can do, I needed to go to the maternity hospital for further testing in the infertility section. So I'm waiting until after the holidays to go.

confused107 · 31/12/2018 12:56

That's terrible. We have been lucky enough to be referred on the NHS to a fertility clinic who have been good and have advised us that we are entitled to one funded round of IVF should the clomid not work,
I'm older than you (37) and all tests came back fine. I have had 3 unsuccessful rounds of Clomid, but as I had a progesterone score of 94 in my monitored cycle I've decided to give it another go before taking them up on the IVF
I hope you get the answers that you deserve in the new year. I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be in pain and there should be more options for you

Laurenita · 31/12/2018 13:08

I just thought the pain was part of taking the clomid, apparently last month I had 3 follicles burst and when I discussed the pain with her she dismissed it with 'yeah, sometimes it happens like that' and was completely unfazed by it. It's worth carrying on if you can if your results are normal I would think. I definitely wouldn't consider IVF yet, it seems so drastic. Is IUI not an option beforehand or something else less invasive perhaps? I'm English but I moved to Prague last year for my partner's work so it's done under their health system. Overall I am impressed with it, gyn care is definitely much better, it is standard to visit an actual gynaecologist every 6 months to 1 year for check ups, smear tests, ultrasounds to make sure everything is ok. It's not like the NHS where you go to a nurse in a doctors surgery and you're in and out in 3 minutes flat. You spend a good 1 hour to 1.5 hour in the appointment and it's all funded in the health system, you don't pay extra for it. I'm not sure if IVF is funded or not, I'm hoping I don't need to go that far.

juneybean · 31/12/2018 14:00

I'm starting to think our cycle is fucked, it's my cd 16, still haven't had a positive OPK and I'm still getting fertile cm, we had donor round on Saturday but now the wife has norovirus so we can't invite donor around again.

So a sad new year in the house tonight!

juneybean · 31/12/2018 14:01

Ah it's CD17, christmas curse of not knowing what day it is when I'm looking at FF!

Laurenita · 31/12/2018 14:08

Sorry to hear that @juneybean. It does feel like we're cursed or something! I don't even know why the pain is so bad when the OPK hasn't shown an LH surge yet, only Oestrogen!

confused107 · 31/12/2018 14:24

@juneybean sorry to hear this. I've heard that people can ovulate pretty late on clomid even at 19-21 days so it might not be over this month yet

@Laurenita sounds like a great system in Poland. Not been offered anything other than IVF. At our last appointment she suggested that we went straight into IVF after 3 unsuccessful clomid months. I agreed then freaked out when I got home as it's a massive thing to go through and we want to be prepared physically and mentally so I called up and asked for 3 more months on clomid first which is what we are entitled too on the NHS. The consultant called back and said she would still recommend IVF as my AMH levels were low, but I can't imagine 3 months would make much difference and I thought that the high progesterone score meant I had ovulated??

To be honest I find the whole thing confusing and overwhelming so it's great to find like minded people on here- especially as we are keeping it between ourselves only. We have given ourselves December off and we have had a fabulous time eating and drinking what we want and not feeling pressured to DTD

Happy new year to you all. Here's to 2019 and baby dust to us all xx

Laurenita · 31/12/2018 14:45

@confused107, I would definitely push for 3 more rounds too if I was you, especially if you're entitled to it and if you can hack it! Unfortunately I'm not sure I can. There's no point if it's too painful to BD and I can't ask my partner to do the cup thing, haha, he'd think I was a mad woman lol.

juneybean · 31/12/2018 14:46

I thought they didn't recommend IVF for low AMH? :S

confused107 · 31/12/2018 14:50

@Laurenita I don't think my DH would be up for the cup either- you have to go with what is best for your body. They may be able to lower the dose. I have also read on other forums about people taking the tablet on every second day to help with the side effects. I'm sure your gynaecologist will have some suggestions

I have read the same about IVF and low AMH. Apparently mine 'isn't a disaster' but I would need the highest dose of IVF drugs, which I can only imagine will be terrible!

Laurenita · 31/12/2018 15:06

@confused107 I've been discharged from her care now and referred to this infertility clinic in the maternity hospital so I guess I will go there in the New Year and see what fresh hell awaits me, haha!

confused107 · 31/12/2018 16:31

@Laurenita fingers crossed for some better news from the hospital

Twiglet2353 · 31/12/2018 17:13

@Iqra786 is the plan for sale dose next cycle then? Fingers crossed there isn't one x

Iqra786 · 31/12/2018 17:27

@twiglet2353 my gynaecologist isn't in till Wednesday the secretary said she would show her the results then and get back to me for the plan for the next cycle

Iqra786 · 31/12/2018 17:30

@twiglet2353 do you know if 21 is a good result?

Twiglet2353 · 31/12/2018 17:50

@Iqra786 hmm it's a bit of a borderline one really. When I got 26 pre-clomid, I was told it was an anovulatory cycle - my GP worked on the basis of a result over 30. On the lab report it also stated low luteal level. You could've ovulated and missed the timing (ie bloods done a little too early or too late)?

Clarence58 · 31/12/2018 18:05

Iv taken my first clomid today but I’m not feeling too confident about what’s going on woth my cycle. I was due on my period on Thursday. Yesterday I had some spotting and it’s bern the same today, very very light and not like how my period usually is. I had a HSG last month (which was normal other than confirming one ovary was indicative of PCOS) and this is my first period since the HSG. I’m just worried Iv taken it a bit early. Iv had the usual period type cramps that I usually get since Thursday. Just hardly any bleeding

My main worry now is that my husband works two weeks on, two weeks off. When he’s at work he is away off shore and there’s absolutely no oppprtunity to see him. Up until now my cycle synced perfectly but now that my period is late/possibly not even fully started, future fertile periods might be approaching when he’s at work. Particularly since I just read in the post above that you can ovulate later than usual on clomid

Does anyone know what they would do if my fertile period was always going to be when my husband was away? Could they give me something to stop and restart my cycle kind of thing? Has anyone had experience of this dilemma?

I’ll see how this cycle goes and I’ll ring the nurse at the hospital to get their advice if it looks like our timings have gone out of sync. I can’t believe that the first month I get clomid, my cycle decides to be totally weird because it’s usually regular Confused

Iqra786 · 31/12/2018 18:12

@twiglet2353 that's what I think because I think i ovulated around cycle day 17-18 so bloods were done a little early considering that

Twiglet2353 · 31/12/2018 18:18

@Iqra786 well in that case that was a really good level I'm guessing for being 2 or 3dpi, as mine was only 9. Fingers crossed it has worked for you this cycle x

Laurenita · 31/12/2018 18:34

@Clarence58 I thought you were supposed to start Clomid on day 2 /3 of your cycle, the cycle starting on your first full flow day? Seems like you've taken it too early? Unfortunately for me, (and it seems the same for a lot of people), I ovulated 5 days later than usual and started my period 6 days later than usual on Clomid.

Twiglet2353 · 31/12/2018 18:37

@Laurenita with nearly all of us ovulating later it makes you wonder why they're so set on CD21 bloods. Even though we've been really discouraged from using OPKs or temping. All this uncertainty would be solved if we just had scans.

I guess it's a lot cheaper to just prescribe another cycle of clomid though?